‘A late lunch of leftover couscous salad’: A 44-year-old shares her day on a plate

Carol Kavurma, 44, is the general manager of Look Good Feel Better, empowering patients being treated for cancer to regain a sense of self and confidence. She shares her day on a plate.

8am Two pieces of wholemeal toast with peanut butter, and two glasses of water. I have water throughout the day – I don’t drink tea or coffee, so water is my go-to.

11.30am After taking my daughter to her basketball game I have a banana an hour before the start of my own netball game.

2.30pm I eat a late lunch of leftover couscous salad – pearl couscous, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, basil and feta, topped with a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.

7pm After my son’s basketball game, the whole family heads to the pub for dinner and a catch-up with friends. I have two cauliflower roti tacos that include cauliflower, cabbage, capsicum, coriander, crushed peanuts and eschalots, along with two glasses of bubbles.

Dr Joanna McMillan says:

Top marks for … Three main meals with only a piece of fruit in between. This tends to ensure you eat better-balanced meals and achieve an improved nutrient intake than constant snacking. This day has a nice array of plant foods, while the feta adds protein and one of your few good sources of calcium.

If you keep eating like this you’ll … Potentially fall low on minerals such as iron and calcium. Iron is best absorbed from red meat and molluscs, while at your age you need 2½ serves of dairy or calcium-rich alternatives a day.

Why don’t you try … Throwing your banana into a smoothie along with milk (or a calcium-fortified plant milk), yoghurt and almonds to boost your calcium intake. Include red meat three times a week, choose mussels or oysters when eating out, and include vitamin C-rich fruit such as citrus, berries or kiwi with vegetarian meals to boost plant iron absorption.

September is Feel Better Month! Find out how you can help Australians with cancer regain a sense of self, confidence, and positivity through the Look Good Feel Better program.

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